Paula’s Perfect Plate: Color Me Healthy!

From a very young age, thanks to my mom, I knew the value of a colorful plate. Once my brothers, sisters, and I were old enough to dish up our own plates, Mom would always look it over to make sure we met her 3-color rule. Her requirements were simple and understandable; she would say, “I want to see 3 colors on your plate.” My Mom didn’t speak the modern day language of macronutrients, k-cals, carb/protein/fat ratios etc.; she spoke a much friendlier ‘kid version’ of nutritional balance. This simple rule will benefit us all.

Red = Protein

Yellow = Fats and Carbohydrates (breads, rice, pasta)

Orange, Green, Blue, Purple = Carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables)

Little did I know she was nutritionally spot-on!

Many nutritional zealots would argue that these guidelines over-simplify nutritional balance, but for a young girl that felt a tremendous desire to live a healthy life, they were the perfect start to what evolved into a lifetime committed to healthy living. Coloring your plate healthy is easily understood by anyone and played a large role in setting the foundation for what would later become my understanding of nutritional balance.

For more information on how you can build your own perfect plate, click here.

Until Next Time… LIVE INSPIRED!!!

Robin xoxo

Robin Shea
- As a healthy lifestyle mentor, speaker, celebrity cook, and creator of The 80/20 Lifestyle, Robin Shea is committed to providing her clients with reliable sources for nutritional and fitness guidance, among other aspects of healthy living. Robin has been helping people embrace healthier food choices, fall in love with fitness, and correct plain old stinkin’ thinkin’ for over 14 years.